Department for Transport

Cars: Safety

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps with car manufacturers to ensure that crash tests equally assess the impact of crashes on women as well as men.

Trudy Harrison: The majority of detailed technical requirements for vehicle construction are regulated at an international level through the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The Department for Transport is an active member and vehicle manufacturers also participate. The expert group with responsibility for crash safety has already agreed changes to the UNECE regulations on frontal impact protection to include the use of crash test dummies representative of a small female occupant. In due course, this should encourage the use of smart restraint systems capable of delivering more consistent injury outcomes, irrespective of gender. The same expert group continues to collate data to establish what more might be needed at a regulatory level. The Department for Transport also remains a member of the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP), which provides objective information to motorists on the crash safety of cars. The rating programme also includes crash tests using dummies representative of female occupants.

UK Trade with EU: Large Goods Vehicles

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the number of unladen lorries (a) entering the EU from the UK and (b) entering the UK from the EU in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Trudy Harrison: The requested information is set out in the tables below. This information was sourced from the Port Freight statistics which can be found here (Annual statistics for UK port freight traffic for 2020) and here (Downloadable Excel file which summarises UK major port freight traffic statistics from 2000-2020). Number of unladen lorries entering the EU from the UKYearAmount2010669,3162011599,2572012653,7382013720,4172014751,7982015785,0112016802,4652017806,3992018742,5172019727,5172020666,304 In total from 2010-2020 this adds up to be 7,924,739 unladen vehicles entering the EU from the UK.Number of unladen lorries entering the UK from the EU201087,225201169,0762012103,685201399,3672014112,053201567,256201661,855201771,008201875,407201980,783202070,636In total from 2010-2020 this adds up to be 898,351 unladen vehicles entering the UK from the EU. Following EU Exit, the market access arrangements allow the vast majority of UK haulage journeys to and from the EU to continue as they did before the end of the transition period.

Parking: Pedestrian Areas

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made the adequacy of pavement parking legislation.

Trudy Harrison: The Department consulted on measures to address pavement parking in 2020 and received over 15,000 responses. These responses have been analysed and Ministers are carefully considering the options in the light of the consultation findings. We will publish the formal consultation response and announce next steps as soon as possible.

Bridges: Barnet

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the timeframe for works to be completed on the bridge over the M1 and railway line at Apex Corner in Mill Hill.

Trudy Harrison: Transport in London is devolved and is the responsibility of the Mayor of London and Transport for London (TfL). TfL estimates these essential works will continue until summer 2022, and provide status updates here: https://tfl.gov.uk/status-updates/major-works-and-events/a41-edgware-way-bridge?cid=edgware-way

Motorways

James Daly: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has plans to reinstate hard shoulders on SMART motorways.

Trudy Harrison: In November 2021, the Transport Select Committee published its Third Report of Session 2021-22 following its inquiry into the rollout and safety of smart motorways. The Committee agreed that the Government was right to focus on upgrading the safety of All Lane Running (ALR) smart motorways rather than reinstating the hard shoulder, which the Committee recognised could put more drivers and passengers at risk of death or serious injury on our roads. Having carefully considered the Committee’s report, the Department is taking forward all its recommendations. This includes pausing the roll-out of ALR smart motorway schemes yet to commence construction until five years of safety data is available for ALR smart motorways introduced before 2020. We are continuing to act to make sure all existing ALR smart motorways are as safe as possible with over £900m being invested, including for the construction of additional emergency areas and the roll-out of Stopped Vehicle Detection technology across existing ALR motorways.

Public Transport: London Cancer Hub

Elliot Colburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with (a) Transport for London (TfL) and (b) the London Borough of Sutton on (i) bus, (ii) rail and (iii) other public transport access requirements to the London Cancer Hub site.

Trudy Harrison: Transport in London is devolved and is the responsibility of the Mayor of London and Transport for London. However, the Department is currently in active discussions with Govia Thameslink Railway to investigate opportunities to improve rail services which will make the London Cancer Hub more accessible.

Renewable Fuels

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps is he taking to increase the use of HVO fuels.

Trudy Harrison: Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) is one type of biofuel which can be used as a transport fuel. Biofuels are typically blended with petrol and diesel when sold on UK forecourts, as opposed to being offered for sale separately. HVO has been eligible for support under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) scheme for more than a decade. The Department does not require data on the number of fuelling stations selling diesel containing HVO, or any other type of biofuel. Given the complexity of fuel supply chains placing such a requirement on fuel retailers would be burdensome. The Department regularly publishes renewable fuel statistics. These include the volumes of biofuel supplied UK-wide by type. In 2020, 38 million litres of biodiesel of HVO was supplied under the RTFO in the UK. The relatively low volumes of HVO supplied is explained in part by there being no HVO production in the UK currently, and HVO being relatively more expensive than other types of biodiesel. It is open to fuel retailers to advertise that the diesel they sell at the pump contains HVO. Whether suppliers and retailers choose to do so is a commercial matter. As we transition to net zero, renewable fuels such as biodiesel will remain important in our efforts to reduce carbon emissions. To this end the Government increased targets for the supply of renewable fuels under the RTFO in December. It is also understood that HVO has the benefit of potentially being able to be supplied in much higher  blends than the  7% biodiesel threshold currently referenced in the fuel standards for diesel. Using high blends of biofuels, or drop-in fuels, in captive fleets such as in the heavy vehicles sector, is an option to further maximise carbon savings. As part of the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, we committed to work with stakeholders to review the role of these fuels in compatible vehicles and potential measures to remove barriers to their deployment.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Offshore Industry: North Sea

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the development of the North Sea gas field, Jackdaw, with his Department’s Energy Security Strategy.

Greg Hands: The North Sea Transition Authority plans to launch another licensing round in the autumn, taking into account the forthcoming climate compatibility checkpoint and the need for energy security. Development proposals for oil fields under existing licences are a matter for the regulators - the North Sea Transition Authority and the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED). OPRED’s decision for Jackdaw will be made in due course.

Fuels: Prices

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to mitigate the effects on consumers of rises in fuel costs.

Greg Hands: On 26 May 2022, the Government announced a £15 billion package of cost-of-living support. This is in addition to the over £22 billion announced previously for the cost of living now totalling over £37 billion this year. This means almost eight million most vulnerable households will get £1,200 of one-off support in total this year, with all domestic electricity customers receiving at least £400.

Attorney General

Department for Work and Pensions: Freedom of Information

Ms Karen Buck: To ask the Attorney General, with reference to the Answers of 7 April 2022 to Question 147025 and 26 April 2022 to Question 156349, on Department for Work and Pensions: Freedom of Information, if she will instruct the Government Legal Service to undertake an assessment of the basis for the Department for Work and Pensions' decision to withhold publication of the Prime Minister’s Implementation Unit’s report on the experiences of vulnerable people who have been claiming Universal Credit.

Alex Chalk: No investigation will be carried out by the Government Legal Profession. If a person making a request under the Freedom of Information Act (2000) is not satisfied with a response, they may exercise their statutory rights of challenge under the Act, complaining to the ICO and then appealing to the First-tier Tribunal.

Department of Health and Social Care

Pain: Health Services

Kate Hollern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to ensure adequate support is provided to people who live with severe chronic pain.

Gillian Keegan: The majority of routine treatment and support for people with chronic pain is provided by local primary, community and secondary care services and commissioned via clinical commissioning groups. For patients with severe and complex pain, NHS England commissions specialised care. Upon referral to specialist centres, patients can access a range of health professionals, including consultant specialists, clinical nurse specialists, psychologists and physiotherapists and receive specialised treatment.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published its guidance on chronic pain in April 2021, which includes recommendations on how chronic pain can be managed through pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches, such as exercise programmes, acupuncture and psychological therapy. NHS England has established a task and finish group to produce guidance on the provision of high-quality services for people living with long-term pain conditions by September 2022. The guidance is aimed at integrated care systems, to provide core principles which can be used to inform the development of local models of care to support people living with chronic pain.

Learning Disability: Social Services

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will (a) make an assessment of the capacity of the social care workforce for people with learning difficulties and (b) set out a workforce plan to tackle any deficits.

Gillian Keegan: We have no plans to make a formal assessment. However, we continue to monitor workforce capacity in the adult social care sector, bringing together intelligence from the Department’s Capacity Tracker and Skills for Care data. This includes annual data on the proportion of the workforce trained to work with people with learning disabilities. ‘People at the Heart of Care: adult social care reform white paper’, published in December 2021, commits to invest at least £500 million to develop and support the workforce over the next three years and increase the sector’s ability to recruit and retain staff.

Learning Disability

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will (a) commission a comprehensive review of the provision of (i) social care, (ii) support services, (iii) mental health services, (iv) education and voluntary sector interventions and (v) best practice for people with learning impairments and (b) take steps to ensure that those services are responsive and person-orientated.

Gillian Keegan: We have no plans to undertake such a review. We are bringing forward measures to provide a greater understanding of adult social care provision, including the independent assessment of local authorities by the Care Quality Commission and the delivery of a data strategy. We have committed £70 million over the next three years to support local authorities to improve experiences of care. In 2022/23, we are investing more than £90 million in community services and support for discharges from mental health inpatient settings specifically for people with a learning disability and autistic people. Additionally, the proposed reforms to the Mental Health Act 1983 will place duties on commissioners to ensure an adequate supply of community services for people at risk of admission. The green paper on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and alternative provision which was published on 29 March 2022, proposes to establish a single, national SEND system setting standards across education, health, and care.

Dementia: Diagnosis

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support memory assessment services in diagnosing people living with dementia.

Gillian Keegan: In 2021/22, we allocated £17 million to specifically address dementia waiting lists and increase the number of diagnoses. NHS England and NHS Improvement are using this funding to aid the recovery of referrals to and increase workforce capacity within memory assessment services. We will set out plans for dementia in England for the next 10 years later this year, which will include a focus on dementia diagnosis.

Children: Speech and Language Disorders

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children are assessed using his Department’s Early Language Intervention Measure as a proportion of children undergoing the Healthy Child Programme 2 / 2½ year Review.

Maggie Throup: The information requested is not currently held centrally. The guidance supporting the Early Language Intervention Measure (ELIM) and Intervention recommends that local areas record the use of ELIM within a child’s electronic health record and this practice is being implemented locally.

Social Services: Finance

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the rise in the cost of living on the levels of support people who pay for or contribute to their local authority social care support are able to afford.

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to take steps to (a) collate, (b) monitor and (c) report data on people withdrawing from care support as a result of no longer being able to afford it.

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department will take to support people who withdraw from local authority care as a result of no longer being able to afford it.

Gillian Keegan: Local authorities have a duty to meet the eligible needs of individuals in certain situations, including where the individual has assets below the means test threshold and is therefore eligible for funded support.Whether a local authority can charge an individual for some or all of the cost of their care will depend on their financial situation. Under the Care Act 2014, charging is based on principles including that people should not be charged more they can afford to pay. It would therefore be for the local authority to determine whether a revised financial assessment is required in the event the cost of living is impeding an individual’s ability to contribute to meeting their eligible care needs.We have announced that we will reform our overall data and assurance approach to improve the quality, timeliness and accessibility of adult social care data. From April 2022, we have unfrozen the Minimum Income Guarantee for those receiving care in their own homes and the Personal Expenses Allowance for care home residents. We have implemented this reform ahead of the planned timetable to support people with income levels.From October 2023, we will implement a more generous means testing regime to ensure that more people will receive support for their care costs at an earlier stage and retain more of their savings when contributing to care costs. We will continue to work with the sector to understand the potential impact of inflationary pressures on adult social care costs by October 2023.

Urinary Tract Infections: Females

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to review (a) public health policy, (b) funding, (c) testing and (d) treatment options for women diagnosed with Urinary Tract Infections.

Gillian Keegan: The Department have no plans to do so. Funding for treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs) is derived from individual clinical commissioning group budgets. However, the forthcoming Women’s Health Strategy will address a range of women’s health issues, including UTIs. National Health Service commissioners in England are responsible for urinary continence care based on the available evidence and taking into account guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). In most instances, testing for UTIs is carried out by a general practitioner, with a referral to a specialist for persistent UTIs. NICE has produced a range of guidance for clinicians to support them in the diagnosis, treatment care and support of people with UTIs. In October 2018, NICE published guidance on antimicrobial resistant prescribing. NHS England and NHS Improvement are also conducting research on UTIs and antimicrobial resistance.

Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust: Ambulance Services

Elliot Colburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the length of time that patients transported to the Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust by ambulance (a) have to wait for an ambulance to arrive and (b) remain waiting in an ambulance before being admitted into A&E.

Edward Argar: No specific assessment has been made as this information is not collected centrally. Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust is improving ambulance handover times through monitoring ambulance arrivals and waiting times. Dedicated areas for patients awaiting a trolley have been established to allow ambulance crews to respond to calls. The Trust has monthly meetings with London Ambulance Service and South East Coast Ambulance Service to review handover times and a standard operating procedure to support ambulance handovers to the urgent treatment centre and same day emergency care service for appropriate patients has been established.

Department of Health and Social Care: Recruitment

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department spent on  recruitment consultants in each of the last five years.

Edward Argar: The information requested is not held centrally.

Queen's Hospital Romford: Accident and Emergency Departments

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times at Queen’s Hospital Urgent Treatment Centre and Emergency Department in the context of the finding of the Care Quality Commission's recent report that those services are in need of improvement.

Edward Argar: NHS England and NHS Improvement have advised that processes have been streamlined in the urgent treatment centre and emergency department at Queen’s Hospital to reduce waiting times. The Partnership of East London Co-operatives is reviewing how patients are received on arrival and how joint working with general practitioners will improve patient safety and assessments.An area has been created in the emergency department to reduce the number of patients requiring admission, which has allowed an approximate a 13% reduction in the average waiting time. An ambulance receiving centre and a short stay medical ward have also been established to improve patient flow through the hospital and reduce waiting times.

Dental Services: Gateshead

Liz Twist: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the number of dentists in Gateshead who (a) treat NHS patients and (b) have left the NHS to work in private practice since March 2020; and what the average size of dentist patient lists are in Gateshead for (i) NHS and (ii) private patients for which the latest figures are available.

Maria Caulfield: This information is not held in the format requested as data on the number of dentists treating National Health Service patients is collected at national, regional and clinical commissioning group level. Patients are registered with a dental practice for the duration of their treatment and do not routinely join dental waiting lists.

Heart Diseases: Medical Treatments and Screening

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to British Medical Journal study, entitled Uncovering the treatable burden of severe aortic stenosis in the UK, published January 2022, what assessment he made of the validity of the finding that the burden of severe aortic stenosis in the UK exceeds the capacity of the NHS to screen or treat the disease.

Maria Caulfield: No specific assessment has been made. However, NHS England is finalising a revised commissioning policy to enable hospitals to provide transcatheter aortic valve implantation and surgical aortic valve replacement for symptomatic severe aortic stenosis in adults.

Dialysis Machines

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients receiving haemodialysis at home received full reimbursement from the NHS for the resulting energy costs in the financial year (a) 2021-22, (b) 2020-21 and (c) 2019-20.

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients receiving haemodialysis at home received partial reimbursement from the NHS for the resulting energy costs in the financial year (a) 2021-22, (b) 2020-21 and (c) 2019-20.

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients receiving haemodialysis at home received no reimbursement from the NHS for the resulting energy costs in the financial year (a) 2021-22, (b) 2020-21 and (c) 2019-20.

Maria Caulfield: The information requested is not held centrally. Reimbursements are made by the patient’s host provider hospital, with NHS England meeting additional direct utility costs through the payment of the national tariff to the provider. NHS England is promoting awareness of these arrangements with regional commissioning teams, providers of renal services and renal networks to ensure that eligible patients are alerted.

Dementia: Diagnosis

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help enable primary care services to diagnose people living with dementia.

Gillian Keegan: In 2021/22, we provided £17 million to clinical commissioning groups to address the needs of those waiting for diagnosis and increase the number of diagnoses. A proportion of this funding was directed towards improving access to personalised pre- and post-diagnostic and carer support, through partnership working between memory assessment services and primary care and Primary Care Network social prescribing and care coordination teams.In 2022/23, NHS England will provide funding to support general practitioners in specific areas to pilot approaches to address the dementia diagnosis rate and access to post diagnostic support.

Neurodiversity: Health Services

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure (a) early neurodiversity diagnosis and (b) that pre-diagnosis support is available for children and their families.

Gillian Keegan: We expect services to adhere to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s recommended maximum waiting time of 13 weeks between referral and first autism assessments. In July 2021, we published a national autism strategy which included a £10.5 million investment in 2021/2022 to tackle long waiting times. We have also invested £600,000 to expand a pilot to improve early identification of autism and other neurodivergent conditions to at least 100 schools. NHS England and NHS Improvement are also working with local authority children’s social care, education services and expert charities to develop measures to support autistic and other neurodivergent children and their families.

Social Services: Fees and Charges

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Minimum Income Guarantee for use as a baseline by local authorities when calculating charges for social care.

Gillian Keegan: The baseline level of the Minimum Income Guarantee is reviewed annually. Following the last review, it was assessed that the Minimum Income Guarantee should increase in line with inflation from 6 April 2022. The revised rates are set out in The Care and Support (Charging and Assessment of Resources)(Amendment) Regulations 2022.

Eating Disorders: Health Services

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) raise awareness of and (b) tackle eating disorders.

Gillian Keegan: The Department regularly engages with stakeholders and supported Eating Disorder Awareness Week earlier this year. Information on eating disorders is also made available via NHS.UK. We are increasing investment in mental health, including eating disorder services, to an additional £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24. This will allow 370,000 adults with serious mental illnesses, including eating disorders, greater choice and control over their care and support them to live in their communities. From 2021/22, we are providing an additional £53 million for children and young people's community eating disorder services to increase capacity in the 70 new or improved community eating disorder teams. In 2021/22, we allocated an additional £79 million in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which allowed an additional 2,000 children and young people to access eating disorder services. The Department has launched a call for evidence to inform the development of a 10-year mental health plan and identify potential solutions to improve mental health and wellbeing, including eating disorders.

Mental Health: Children and Young People

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will supply a decision on behalf of the Government on each of the 25 recommendations made by the Health and Social Care Committee in its Eighth Report of Session 2021-22 ,Children and Young People's Mental Health, published on 9 December 2021; and if he will make a statement to the House on that matter.

Gillian Keegan: We continue to consider the Committee’s recommendations in full in the development of a new long term, cross-Government plan for mental health. However, we are unable to reject or accept specific recommendations at this time. We will update the response to the Committee’s recommendations following the publication of the plan.

Wales Office

Bus Services: Wales

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps his Department is taking to work with the (a) Welsh Government and (b) Department for Transport to ensure that English bus passes used for travel between two English destinations are valid on bus routes which pass through Wales on their journey.

Simon Hart: Under Section 93 of the Transport Act 1985 local authorities in England and Wales can agree with neighbouring authorities to offer discretionary travel concessions on local services where the route may cross the border.

Department for Education

Children: Social Services

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to improve leadership in children’s social care.

Will Quince: Through our professional development programmes, the department supports leaders in social work to continue to develop the knowledge and skills needed to provide the best possible services for children and families. We are investing £5 million in our children and family social work leadership programmes in the 2022/23 financial year, supporting more than 1,000 leaders. This includes a new leadership programme which will begin in Autumn 2022 and will support a leadership career journey, improve the quality of leadership and ensure a pipeline of high-quality leaders.In 2020, we also launched the Upon Inspiring Leaders Programme to give aspiring and new Directors of Children’s Services the skills and support they need to thrive in this challenging role. To date, 100 participants have benefited from this support.The department will also closely consider the recommendations related to leadership from the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care, published on 23 May. We will do this alongside any recommendations from the National Panel Review into the tragic deaths of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson, which was published on 26 May. We will also closely consider recommendations from the Competition and Markets Authority’s study into children’s social care placements, which published its final report in March.The department will set out an implementation strategy by the end of the year that takes account of the three reviews.

Social Workers: Career Development

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will bring forward a plan to institute an early careers framework for social workers enabling five years of supervised and supported professional engagement.

Will Quince: The department commissioned the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care to take a fundamental look at what is needed to support the children and families supported by children’s social care.We will closely consider the recommendations from the review’s final report, published on 23 May. We will do this alongside the recommendations from the National Panel Review into the tragic deaths of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson, which was published on 26 May, and the Competition and Markets Authority’s study into children’s social care placements, which published its final report in March. The department will set out a detailed and ambitious implementation strategy by the end of the year that takes account of the three reviews.The department supports the principle of the review's proposed Early Career Framework, and we will set out plans to refocus the support social workers already receive early on in their careers as part of the implementation strategy.

Adoption

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will increase support for families involved in the adoption process to ensure that contact with birth parents is achieved with support rather than independently.

Will Quince: Local authorities have a legal duty to provide a comprehensive adoption service: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/691/part/2/made?view=plain.As set out in the department’s Adoption Strategy, we are working with Regional Adoption Agencies to develop and trial what good practice around contact looks like, with a view to setting national standards in this area. This includes investigating what support is needed for children, birth parents and adoptive parents. We are also currently funding Regional Adoption Agencies to develop a new programme called ‘Letterswap’, a new digital platform to improve the current ‘Letterbox’ system. The strategy can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adoption-strategy-achieving-excellence-everywhere.Additionally, the recently published Independent Review of Children’s Social Care makes recommendations to improve contact between adoptive children and their birth families. We will carefully consider these recommendations. The review can be found here: https://childrenssocialcare.independent-review.uk/final-report/.

Children in Care: Restraint Techniques

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to end the handcuffing and restraint of children in the care system by private secure transportation providers except when there is a considerable risk of the child harming themselves or others.

Will Quince: The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and supporting statutory guidance clearly sets out the law regarding the use of restraint where children are placed in children’s homes. This guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childrens-homes-regulations-including-quality-standards-guide. Homes are required to record any incidents of restraint under Regulation 35. There is also a requirement under Regulation 40 for the Registered Person to inform Ofsted of any incident in relation to a child that they consider to be serious. The Registered Person and the local authority overall have a responsibility to ensure that children are kept safe, and their welfare is promoted. If transportation is arranged by the local authority who has responsibility for the child, then the care of the child would fall to them. In 2019, the government published guidance on reducing the need for restraint for those responsible for providing education, health, and social care to children and young people under 18 years of age with learning disabilities, autistic spectrum conditions and mental health difficulties in these settings. This can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/812435/reducing-the-need-for-restraint-and-restrictive-intervention.pdf. Where local authorities have contract arrangements with transport services, restraint should only be used in very limited circumstances, in accordance with this guidance on the use of restraint and must always be necessary and proportionate.

Children: Social Services

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of regional care cooperatives as proposed in the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will adopt the proposal for family help to secure early multidisciplinary interventions around the child and their family as part of Independent Review of Children’s Social Care.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to take steps relating to the training of the children’s social care workforce as a result of the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care.

Will Quince: The introduction of regional care cooperatives, early multi-disciplinary interventions and children’s social care workforce training, as recommended in the Independent Review of Children's Social Care, will be considered as part of the development of the department’s implementation strategy.

Children's Social Care Independent Review

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he plans to take to help ensure that young people and families with experience of care are engaged in the implementation of the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care.

Will Quince: The department commissioned the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care to take a fundamental look at what is needed to support the children and families supported by children’s social care. On 23 May 2022, the review published its final recommendations, which reflect the review’s engagement with 2,000 people with lived experience and 2,800 people working with children and families.The department will now consider the recommendations carefully with those with care experience and all interested stakeholders. This will include establishing a National Implementation Board that includes people with their own experience of the care system. We will publish an implementation strategy later this year, which will set out how government will improve children’s social care.

Children and Young People: Social Services

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will take steps to ensure that children and young people’s voices are strengthened in the social care system.

Will Quince: The department is committed to having the voice of the child at the heart of the care system. We have been working with stakeholders, including care experienced children and young people, to revise both the National Standards for the Provision of Children’s Advocacy Services and the statutory guidance on providing effective advocacy services for children and young people.The department is now considering the impact of the advocacy recommendations from the recently published Independent Review of Children’s Social Care on this work.

Children: Social Services

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen the transition points for children between (a) various stages of the child’s life including home and social care, (b) different forms of social care provision and (c) social care and independent living to ensure stability and safety for all affected children.

Will Quince: The department is clear that children are best looked after within their families, which is why we are investing £695 million over three years in our Supporting Families programme. The programme assigns keyworkers to families to help identify unmet need in the family. They co-ordinate access to services and look out for vulnerable children and young people, to avoid increased risk of abuse of exploitation and preventing them from needing to enter the care system.Local authorities are responsible for ensuring placements are suitable and take account of children’s longer-term needs. The department is clear that it is unacceptable for any child or young person to be placed in a setting that does not meet their needs. Sometimes, children in their care transition between different placements to ensure their needs are best met, and local authorities must support children and young people as they move between placements.As a child gets older and begins the transition to adulthood, the department is committed to ensuring they receive the support and skills they need to succeed and achieve their maximum potential in life. Supported accommodation allows young people to live semi-independently and can be the right choice for some older children who are ready for this transition. To improve the quality of this type of provision, we are investing £142 million across the next three years to introduce mandatory national standards, Ofsted registration, and inspection for providers of supported accommodation.The department is providing £172 million funding over the next three years to support care leavers, with better move-on accommodation and practical and emotional support from a personal advisor. The funding includes £99.8 million for local authorities over the next three years to help care leavers stay with their foster families after they turn 18 in a Staying Put arrangement, so they can continue to benefit from a stable and secure family setting as they transition to independence. Additionally, £36 million will extend the Staying Close programme so that more care leavers leaving children’s homes will be supported with move-on accommodation and support from a trusted adult. Finally, £36.4 million will be provided for Personal Advisors to support care leavers up to age 25. This will help them navigate services such as housing, health, or benefits and in providing practical or emotional support to help them prepare for living independently.

Schools: Cleaning Services

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the level of shortages of cleaners in schools.

Mr Robin Walker: Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only. The department gives school and academy trust leaders the freedom to decide how they recruit and deploy their non-teaching staff in schools, including cleaners. They hold responsibility for monitoring and making decisions about their cleaners to meet their own circumstances, in addition to having autonomy to make contract decisions for externally-supplied cleaning staff. The department supports schools to get the best value from their resources. Support is provided through the establishment of national deals on common areas of school spending. The use of these deals for school resourcing needs is at the discretion of school and academy trust leaders. While the department encourages the use of its established deals, schools are trusted to get the best value for money when hiring their staff.

Department of Education: Public Expenditure

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make it his policy to immediately increase the Department for Education's Capital Departmental Expenditure Limits (CDEL) to a level equivalent in real terms to that set in 2010.

Michelle Donelan: The department engages regularly with HM Treasury about investment in schools, including capital investment. The department’s budget was set at the Spending Review and included £19.4 billion in capital funding to support the education sector between the 2022/23 and 2024/25 financial years.From this, we have announced £1.8 billion to help maintain and improve the condition of school buildings and grounds in the 2022/23 financial year. This sustains the increased level of funding announced in the 2021/22 financial year, which was significantly higher than the £1.4 billion per year typically allocated over the 2016-2021 Spending Review period. It comes on top of the new School Rebuilding Programme which will transform 500 schools over the next decade.Our investment in this Spending Review period builds on nearly £30 billion of capital investment in education between the 2016/17 and 2021/22 financial years, including over £6 billion for new mainstream school places through basic need capital allocations, £665 million for places for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities or requiring alternative provision and over £13 billion improving or replacing school buildings.Since 2010, capital funding for schools has undergone a series of reforms. One of the drivers of differences in capital funding is closing the Buildings School for the Future programme in 2010 and reforms to drive down the costs of school building. A review of school capital investment by Sebastian James in 2011 found that the Building Schools for the Future programme was expensive and did not target schools in the greatest need. The design and procurement process was not designed to create high and consistent quality or low cost, nor to reduce costs over time. Our programmes now deliver more efficiently and better target buildings in the worst condition.

Qualifications: Ukraine

Mark Logan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether Ukrainian diplomas and other education credentials are recognised (a) in the UK and (b) by UK employers.

Michelle Donelan: The UK and Ukraine are both signatories to the Lisbon Recognition Convention. The UK is also a signatory to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation Global Recognition Convention, which will soon come into force. The terms of these Conventions oblige the UK to recognise higher education qualifications and qualifications giving access to higher education unless they are substantially different from the UK equivalents.The UK European Network for Information (ENIC) service provides advice on the comparability of international qualifications at all levels of education with those of the UK, on behalf of Government. The service maintains an extensive database of international qualifications and education systems, including for Ukraine, and are fully prepared to deal with Ukrainian and other refugees’ qualifications.Organisations and individuals can apply for Statements of Comparability through the standard UK ENIC portal. Within the portal, there is provision for individuals to be able to identify as refugees, meaning more flexibility is given for document submissions. Many organisations, including education institutions and employers, also subscribe to the UK ENIC service and use its database when assessing applications.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Development Aid

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Government’s strategy for international development, published on 16 May 2022, whether she plans to change the proportion of UK diplomatic costs for particular countries that are attributed to Official Development Assistance budgets.

Amanda Milling: The UK will continue to apply consistently the international rules on aid set by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. These allow donors to report as Official Development Assistance (ODA) the proportion of costs for diplomatic staff where they are performing aid-related duties. The duties must be in line with the DAC primary purpose of aid and benefitting countries on the DAC list of ODA eligible countries.

China: Human Rights

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she plans to take to examine the report of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet's visit to China.

Amanda Milling: We have always been clear the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights must be granted full, unfettered access to Xinjiang and allowed to conduct an accurate assessment of the facts on the ground. We continue to urge China to grant the High Commissioner such access on her ongoing visit, which we are following closely. As the Foreign Secretary made clear in her statement of 24 May, if such access is not forthcoming, the visit will only serve to highlight China's attempts to hide the truth of its actions in Xinjiang. We look forward to the High Commissioner's promised report on the situation in Xinjiang, which we will study carefully. We will continue to act with our international partners to increase the pressure on China to change its behaviour.

West Bank and Gaza: Schools

Caroline Ansell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the UN Relief and Works Agency’s use of the Palestinian Authority school curriculum in its schools in the West Bank and Gaza; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Ansell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with representatives of the Palestinian Authority (PA) on the removal of material reportedly inciting violence and antisemitism and the inclusion of material promoting peace in the PA school curriculum; and if she will make a statement.

Amanda Milling: We strongly condemn all forms of violence and incitement to violence. We accompany our support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) with stringent attention to implementation of their neutrality policy, including how they apply this to textbooks and other learning material to ensure they reflect UN values. In Gaza and the West Bank, UNRWA uses the Palestinian Authority's (PA's) curriculum in their schools after rigorously reviewing that it is in line with UN values. Our partnership with the PA includes a commitment from the Palestinian leadership to adhere to the principle of non-violence and to tackle any language and actions that could incite violence or hatred. Officials from the British Consulate General Jerusalem regularly discuss the curriculum with counterparts in UNRWA and the PA.

Aviation: Ukraine

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether any progress has been made on investigations into complaints made by the families and loved ones of people killed aboard Malaysian Airlines flight 17 on 17 July 2014.

Amanda Milling: The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) have not recorded any official complaints concerning our actions while supporting the bereaved families of British nationals killed through the downing of MH17. There is an ongoing criminal trial being taken forward in the Netherlands where four people are facing charges relating to the murder of 298 people who were on the aircraft.All grieving families, including the families of British nationals killed on the flight, have been given access to the information on the criminal proceedings. All the grieving families were asked if they would like to provide an impact statement to the court in writing, via video link or in person, which allowed those who participated to air their concerns directly to the court. FCDO Consular staff have provided support to the families of British nationals who were killed, if they wished to receive support.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help resolve the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

Amanda Milling: The UK has played a leading role in responding to the humanitarian crisis, committing over £1 billion in aid since the conflict began. Over the course of our coming financial year, the UK will provide at least £88 million in aid to the people of Yemen. UK funding will be provided through multiple agencies, including the World Food Programme and UNICEF. This will help feed at least 200,000 people every month, provide lifesaving health care for 800,000 women and children, and treat 85,000 severely malnourished children. We will work with our delivery partners to ensure aid is disbursed quickly and effectively to avoid further suffering. An inclusive political settlement is the only way to bring long-term stability to Yemen and to address the worsening humanitarian crisis. The UK fully supports the work of the UN Special Envoy, and welcomes his plans to propose an extension to the current truce in Yemen.

Anguilla: Hurricanes and Tornadoes

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 15 March 2022 to Question 136529, on Anguilla: Hurricanes and Tornadoes, how many schools have been affected by Hurricane Irma; and what recent estimate she has made of the number of children that have been unable to receive an education as a result of that hurricane in each of the last two years.

Amanda Milling: All schools in Anguilla were impacted by Hurricane Irma and suffered damage to varying degrees. These comprised of eight pre-primary schools, eleven primary schools and one secondary school. Some required minor repairs, while others required a complete rebuild. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has supported the Government of Anguilla with almost £100 million in grant funding to rebuild its critical national infrastructure since Hurricane Irma, including major refurbishments for two primary schools and the building of four new schools. In the last two years no students were unable to receive an education as a result of Hurricane Irma.

Anguilla: Trade Agreements

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential economic implications for Anguilla of that country's trading relationship with the EU; and whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for International Trade on plans to promote trade between Anguilla and (a) Britain and (b) the Commonwealth.

Amanda Milling: The UK is committed to supporting Anguilla in building a vibrant and sustainable economy and we are providing extensive support to facilitate economic growth, notably through a £4 million programme this financial year. This builds on previous support provided which has redeveloped key infrastructure projects on island. The Government of Anguilla are responsible for their own trading relationships and as such, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has not made a quantitative assessment of the economic implications for Anguilla of their trade with the EU, following the UK's exit from the EU. The Department for International Trade is working with the Overseas Territories including Anguilla to take advantage of the opportunities available to the UK as an independent trading nation. The UK will continue to assist Anguilla in strengthening their economy, including through encouraging greater links to the UK and other economies globally.

British Overseas Territories: Nature Conservation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of which animals are the most endangered in the Falkland, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; what statistics her Department holds on the net (a) loss or (b) gain of those animals in each of the last three years; and what steps her Department is taking to support conservation efforts on those islands.

Amanda Milling: Environmental protection is the responsibility of individual UK Overseas Territories. 8% of the annual budget of the Falkland Islands Government is spent on research and environmental protection and in 2021 they launched their flagship environmental strategy. Recent evidence has highlighted the significant role the Islands are playing in the growing populations of Southern Giant Petrel, Fur Seals, Southern Sea Lions and as a breeding ground for some of the rarest cetaceans, such as Sei whales. South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands is a biodiversity hotspot and an ecosystem in recovery that is home to globally significant numbers of penguins, flying seabirds, seals and whales. Recent research has shown that populations of whales including Humpbacks, Blues, Fins and Right whales are increasing in the region. The removal of all invasive rats from South Georgia in 2018 has led to a rapid increase in the number of native birds including endemic pipits and ducks. A large Marine Protected Area (MPA) protects over 1.2 million km2 of the region's marine environment in which species such as the Marbled Rock Cod, are recovering from overfishing last century. The 2021 'Protect, Sustain, Inspire' strategy provides the framework through which the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands will continue to support environmental recovery and resilience through world-leading, evidence-based sustainable management.

Israel: Palestinians

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her (a) Israeli and (b) Palestinian counterparts on reports of forced evictions in Masafer Yatta.

Amanda Milling: The UK is clear that in all but the most exceptional of circumstances, demolitions and evictions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. Our opposition to the demolition of Palestinian property and the evictions of Palestinians from their homes is long-standing. The practice causes unnecessary suffering to Palestinians and is harmful to efforts to promote peace. We repeatedly call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation.

Anguilla: Development Aid

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding her Department has allocated to the mitigation of acidic water and water-borne diseases in Anguilla; and whether her Department has undertaken a recent assessment of the appropriateness of the current level of funding for that work.

Amanda Milling: The UK Government has supported Anguilla with technical advice on water-borne diseases, including to test water for legionella. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has provided significant support to Anguilla through the COVID-19 pandemic, including support to establish additional testing facilities in the public health laboratory which will enable Anguilla to increase the local capacity to test for viruses and diseases on the island. Over the next three years, the UK Government will support Anguilla with up to £10,000 through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) to provide technical advice and capacity building for food, water and environmental laboratories in order to improve testing capabilities for water-borne diseases.

East Africa: Humanitarian Situation

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of food price rises as a result of the conflict in Ukraine on the humanitarian situation in the East and Horn of Africa.

Vicky Ford: The humanitarian situation across East and the Horn of Africa is extremely concerning. Conflict and drought are the main causes of humanitarian need with tens of millions of people affected.Countries across the Horn of Africa will also be impacted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine due to the increase in the costs of food commodities and fuel on global markets. We are assessing how we can help lessen the impact of rising food prices caused by the war in Ukraine on vulnerable communities in East Africa. This includes assessing alternate markets for procurement of food supplies and working with UN partners to promote effective prioritisation so assistance reaches the neediest.The UK is taking action to respond. At the spring meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in April, the UK and our partners secured the largest ever financial commitment from the World Bank of US$170 billion until June 2023 to support countries faced with the wide range of current economic challenges including the impact of the Russian invasion. With G7 allies, we agreed to address, including in support of the United Nations Global Crises Response Group, the causes and consequences of the global food crisis through a Global Alliance for Food Security, as a joint initiative to ensure momentum and coordination that will be launched by G7 Development Ministers.

Human Rights

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with the UN to strengthen global actions against human rights atrocities.

Vicky Ford: The UK Government is committed to upholding and defending the international rule of law and the rights and freedoms of people around the world, and UK atrocity prevention efforts align with UN efforts. Multilaterally, the UK supports the UN Secretary-General's Sustaining Peace agenda and has engaged directly with him about wider UN reform, helping to build momentum for change by bringing together different parts of the UN system to work jointly to prevent conflict. The UK also supports and funds a number of investigative bodies established by the UN including the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) in Syria, the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability Against Da'esh/ISIL Crimes (UNITAD) in Iraq and the IIM in Myanmar, all of which are charged with collecting and preserving evidence so that accountability can be pursued when the circumstances permit. In 2021, the UK was again one of the top ten donors to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), providing a voluntary contribution of around $7.9 million.We will continue to engage with civil society, and use our position at the UN, including as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, to raise atrocity situations of concern and to support the deployment of all appropriate tools available to the UN in dealing with potential mass atrocities and conflict. Our focus is always on securing an end to violence and protecting civilians.

Development Aid: Trachoma

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of her Department’s planned reduction of funding to multilateral organisations on global efforts to (a) reduce the global prevalence of trachoma and (b) the number of cases of blindness caused by trachoma.

Vicky Ford: Trachoma is the world's leading causes of infectious blindness. Much progress has been made with the number of people at risk of blindness from trachoma having reduced by over 90% since 2002. The UK will continue to fund multilaterals which contribute to global progress on trachoma, such as the World Health Organisation. Our investments will continue to support countries, including those affected by trachoma, to strengthen their health systems to deliver essential health services. We will also continue to invest in research and development to maintain defences against diseases like trachoma and make progress to eliminate them.

India: Visas

Taiwo Owatemi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when she expects eVisas to be restored for UK citizens visiting India.

Vicky Ford: We regularly raise our concerns regarding our exclusion from the list of countries eligible for e-visas with the Government of India (GoI). Most recently, the Foreign Secretary raised this matter with her Indian counterpart on 31 March during her visit to India. It is for the GoI to determine the types and validity of the visas it offers. British nationals can continue to use the GoI's regular/paper visa application services for all visa categories. However, we will continue to work closely with the GoI on this issue and update the India Travel Advice with the latest information on any changes to India's visa rules.

Horn of Africa: Droughts

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the severe drought in the Horn of Africa; and if she will take steps to increase the humanitarian assistance provided to that region.

Vicky Ford: The Horn of Africa is experiencing one of its most severe droughts in history with more than 15 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia assessed to be acutely food insecure, according to the UN. A fourth consecutive - and unprecedented - season of failed rains is contributing to growing water scarcity, alarming rates of malnutrition and huge numbers of livestock deaths. Needs are grave in Somalia where an estimated 81,000 people are experiencing famine-like conditions. In Ethiopia 8 million people are affected by drought, with 3.5 million people similarly affected in Kenya.The UK is a major humanitarian donor to the East Africa region. In 2022 the UK has provided £72 million to support more than one million people in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan affected by conflict, drought and flooding. Across the region UK funded humanitarian activities are making a difference and saving lives. In Kenya the UK is providing 26,000 children with life-saving nutritional support. In Ethiopia a further 200,000 children and pregnant and lactating women in southern and eastern regions will receive similar aid. The UK also played a critical role in convening the recent UN Horn of Africa Drought Roundtable which took place in late April in Geneva. This included working with states in the region and the UN to ensure appropriate levels of participation. It helped to bring much needed focus on the drought and it mobilised roughly US$400 million in new funding.Our response to the drought builds on long-established resilience building programmes in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. In Kenya this includes support to the Hunger Safety Programme, which has provided 600,000 people in drought prone areas with regular financial assistance. In Ethiopia, the UK funded Productive Safety Net Programme has benefitted some 8 million people via financial welfare provision and community public works projects. In Somalia the UK has been supporting over 220 rural communities in three large urban cities with durable solutions initiatives for internally displaced persons. These programmes, coupled with additional investments, have enabled the UK to reach nearly 8 million individuals as a part of its emergency humanitarian response.The UK is taking further action to respond. At the spring meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in April, the UK and our partners secured the largest ever financial commitment from the World Bank of US$170 billion until June 2023 to support countries faced with the wide range of current economic challenges including the impact of the Russian invasion. With G7 allies, we agreed to address, including in support of the United Nations Global Crises Response Group, the causes and consequences of the global food crisis through a Global Alliance for Food Security, as a joint initiative to ensure momentum and coordination that will be launched by G7 Development Ministers.

Ministry of Defence

Army Reserve

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) trained workforce requirement and (b) weapon inventory of support weapons for an army reserve infantry battalion was in January 2022; and what it is planned to be in the future, listed by category (i) anti-tank weapons, (ii) mortars, (iii) machine guns, (iv) assault pioneers.

James Heappey: In January 2022, the workforce requirement varied for each of the Army Reserve infantry battalions. Under Future Soldier, structures will be standardised to mitigate such variations and bring coherence. All Army Reserve infantry battalions will therefore adopt a common structure based on either a three or four sub-unit model in the future.Whilst there are changes under Future Soldier, the requirement for each Army Reserve infantry battalion to provide a support weapons capability will endure, to deliver reinforcement to the Army's regular battalions for warfighting.As with Regular Army battalions, I am withholding a breakdown of both the workforce requirement and weapon inventory as disclosure would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the British Army.

Army Reserve

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answers of 9 February 2022 to Question 117745 on Army Reserve: Training and of 28 March 2022 to Question 906313 on Army Reserve, what recent estimate he has made of the trained workforce requirement of the Army Reserve, excluding those personnel undergoing phase 1 training, under future plans, broken down by (a) the British Army, (b) Strategic Command, (c) the Royal Navy, (d) the RAF and (e) other; and if he will provide those figures in comparison to those given in Answer to Question 117745.

James Heappey: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 9 February 2022 to Questions 117744 and 117745 to the hon. Member for South Norfolk, as the figures showing future workforce requirement of the Army Reserve have not changed.Army Reserve Training (docx, 19.5KB)Army Reserve Training (docx, 21.4KB)

Army: Procurement

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to publish the industrial health assessment as set out on page 30 of the Land Industrial Strategy.

Jeremy Quin: As stated in the Land Industrial Strategy, to understand the current state of Land-facing industry, a periodic Industrial Health Assessment will be developed that will highlight areas of strength and weakness across key skills and capabilities. This will be commissioned jointly with industry via a third party.

Queen's Guards: Uniforms

John Nicolson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish his Department's independent analysis of ECOPEL faux fur that found that it did not meet necessary requirements to replace bear fur for use in Queen's Guards caps.

Jeremy Quin: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has not conducted analysis of Ecopel faux fur. A man-made fabric manufactured by Ecopel was passed to an independent testing house by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), and those results were shared with the MOD. The analysis showed that the material does not meet the necessary requirements. For further detail on the test analysis, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 May 2022 to Question 4694 to the hon. Member for Newport West (Ruth Jones).Armed Forces Uniforms (docx, 14.3KB)Queen Guards Uniforms (docx, 14.9KB)

Army: Procurement

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the levels of funding required for Land Integrated Operating Service arrangements.

Jeremy Quin: The Land Integrated Operating Service (LIOS) project has been launched to assess the strategic benefits and value for money of adopting a more through life approach. The project is still in its early stages, considering a range of options that will be presented in the outline business case, including the levels of funding necessary. The publication of the final product will be dependent upon any commercial sensitivities and the security classification.

RAF Lakenheath

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 23 May 2022 to Question 3555 on RAF Lakenheath, what the cost is of the infrastructure programmes and projects his Department has agreed to deliver on behalf of the United States Visiting Forces at RAF Lakenheath.

Jeremy Quin: The total cost of the infrastructure programmes and projects the Ministry of Defence has agreed to deliver on behalf of the United States Visiting Forces at RAF Lakenheath is forecast at some £600 million over the next eight years. This may vary depending on changing US requirements.  Since Financial Year 2019-2020, £300 million has been spent on infrastructure programmes and projects at RAF Lakenheath. While there are some indirect costs captured by the UK/US Cost Sharing Agreement (for example Defence Infrastucture Organistion staff expenses), construction costs for the building work are met by the US.

Multi Role Ocean Surveillance Ship: Procurement

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects MROS to reach initial operational capability.

Jeremy Quin: The new Multi Role Ocean Surveillance programme is in its concept and assessment phase. As options for the procurement strategy and the project schedule are under development, no decisions have yet been made on the initial operating capability date for the vessel.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit: Metro Newspaper

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 28 April 2022 to Question 154234 on Universal Credit: Publicity, on what date the Advertising Standards Authority’s determination, that the UC uncovered adverts in The Metro were exaggerated and misleading, was presented to the Board.

David Rutley: The determination was not presented to the Universal Credit Programme Board.

Universal Credit Programme Board: Public Appointments

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 26 April 2022 to Question 154232, whether the Commissioner on Public Appointments was notified that the post of Chair of the Universal Credit Programme Board was not going to be advertised for open public recruitment.

David Rutley: The Universal Credit Programme Board is not listed in the Public Appointments Order in Council 2019 as a body subject to regulation by the Commissioner for Public Appointments, so the appointment of the Chair did not need to meet the requirements of the Governance Code for Public Appointments. The Cabinet Office was notified and approved the appointment of the Universal Credit Programme Board Chair.

Universal Credit Programme Board: Public Appointments

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 26 April 2022 to Question 154232, for what reason the post of Chair of the Universal Credit Programme Board was not advertised for open public recruitment; and if she will make an assessment of the compliance of that advertising process with the Code of Guidance on Public Appointments.

David Rutley: The Universal Credit Programme Board is not listed in the Public Appointments Order in Council 2019 as a body subject to regulation by the Commissioner for Public Appointments, so the appointment of the Chair did not need to meet the requirements of the Governance Code for Public Appointments. The Department approached IPA (formally MPA) and reviewed CVs from previous recruitments for suitable candidates, from this a couple of candidates had been invited to apply for the post but did not do so.

Universal Credit Programme Board: Pay

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 26 April 2022 to Question 154232, what the level of remuneration was for the post of Chair of the Universal Credit Programme Board in each year since its creation.

David Rutley: Sir Robert Walmsley’s annual remuneration payment between 29 July 2013 to 29 February 2020 was £15,000. John McGlynn’s annual remuneration payment from 05 August 2021 was £7,500, however he has chosen to waive any payments. In the period between Sir Robert Walmsley leaving the post and John McGlynn taking it up both Neil Couling and Will Quince MP sat as chairs, they received no payment for this.

Personal Independence Payment: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many PIP applications her Department has received from claimants with (a) Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) or (b) Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) as a medical condition in each of the last three years.

Chloe Smith: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. A Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimant’s main disabling condition is recorded during their assessment and is not centrally recorded prior to this. Therefore, disability information is not available for analysis for claims registered. To provide the information requested the Department would need to manually examine each individual PIP registration, which would take in excess of 4 working days. The Department publishes statistics on the number of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) decisions made by main disabling condition. Statistics are available to January 2022 for PIP on Stat-Xplore, in the PIP clearances dataset. Guidance for users is available here.

Personal Independence Payment: Standards

John Lamont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has performance standards for clearance times for Personal Independence Payments.

Chloe Smith: There is no target for the completion of a claim to PIP through to the first payment. However, we are committed to ensuring that people can access financial support through Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in a timely manner. We always aim to make an award decision as quickly as possible, taking into account the need to review all the available evidence, including that from the claimant, any supporting evidence supplied and the advice from an assessment.

Personal Independence Payment: Standards

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what types of information and guidance are being given to support new claimants of Personal Independence Payment who may experience a delay in payment; what format that information and guidance is in; and how often it is communicated to affected people.

Chloe Smith: During the initial PIP registration call, the claims process is fully explained. Claimants are informed what will happen next and given a realistic indication of timescales. Service Delivery colleagues have been provided with information and guidance to support claimants who call the Department who might be experiencing a delay receiving their PIP award. Information includes verbally advising the claimant of the average time it is taking to make a decision. Those who express concerns about wait times, or need further support, are signposted to other benefits or local organisations who may be able to assist. PIP have introduced automated SMS messages, which are issued at various points in the claim journey based on triggers and events. We are introducing further SMS on 26/05/22 which will provide a more regular update throughout the process, until the decision is made. The SMS will be issued to anyone who hasn’t opted out of the SMS communication and has a recorded valid mobile number.

British Sign Language Act 2022

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she plans to take to implement the British Sign Language Act 2022.

Chloe Smith: The British Sign Language Act 2022 gained Royal Assent in April 2022 and does three things:It recognises British Sign Language as a language of Great Britain in its own right;It places a duty on the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to report on the promotion and facilitation of British Sign Language by ministerial departments.It places a duty on the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to issue guidance to ministerial departments on the general promotion and facilitation of British Sign Language across their public communications - such as public announcements, consultations, plans, strategy, social media and press conferences. A BSL Advisory Board will be established to advise the government on the implementation of the BSL Act from the perspective of those who use BSL. The board will also advise on related matters such as how to increase the number of BSL interpreters. This board is a key first step in implementation of the Act, and it is anticipated that recruitment for the board will begin soon, with the first board meeting to be held in the Autumn.

Universal Credit

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent progress her Department has made on the rollout of the Universal Credit programme.

David Rutley: We recently set out our revised approach to moving the remaining 2.6m households on legacy benefits over to Universal Credit by the end of 2024. This is available here: Completing the move to Universal Credit - Completing the move to Universal Credit - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) From 9th May, we started to issue a small number of migration notices in Bolton and Medway to claimants as part of a managed migration discovery exercise. This controlled approach will allow us to learn and iterate as we go so that we carefully build a service that both meets user needs and is sustainable in the longer term.

Household Support Fund

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent progress her Department has made on allocating the Household Support Fund to local authorities.

David Rutley: Local Authorities have received their allocations from the £421m Household Support Fund extension for April – September 2022, alongside the grant determination and guidance. The allocations for Local Authorities for this period can be found here Household Support Fund (1 April 2022 to 30 September 2022): final guidance for county councils and unitary authorities in England - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Local Authorities have discretion on exactly how and when this funding is used within the scope set out, based on their assessment of local need. This funding is available now for use by Local Authorities until 30 September 2022. From October 2022, Government is providing an additional £500 million to help households with the cost of essentials, bringing the total funding for this support to £1.5 billion. In England £421m will be used to further extend the Household Support Fund (October 2022 – March 2023). Guidance and individual local authority indicative allocations for this further extension to the Household Support Fund will be announced in due course.

Universal Credit: Eastbourne

Caroline Ansell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of how many Universal Credit claimants in Eastbourne constituency have been affected by the changes to the Taper Rate announced in the Autumn 2021 Budget; and if she will make a statement.

David Rutley: Monthly statistics on the number of people who are on Universal Credit and are in employment, by parliamentary constituency, are published and can be found at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/ Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the level of fraud and error in the welfare system.

David Rutley: The Fraud Plan, Fighting Fraud in the Welfare System published 19 May 2022, sets out our plans for reducing the level of fraud and error in the welfare system by: Investing in DWPs frontline counter-fraud professionals and data analytics, including recruiting 2,000 trained specialists to review over two million Universal Credit cases.Creating new legal powers to investigate potential fraud and punish fraudsters (subject to legislation).Bringing together the full force of public and private sectors to keep one step ahead. The full document can be found on Welcome to GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). It sets out how we will invest £613m over the next three years in our frontline counter-fraud professionals and establish a brand-new team of trained specialists to conduct Targeted Case Reviews of Universal Credit claims, which will see us review 2 million cases over the next 5 years. This money represents a 75% increase in funding to combat fraud and error, taking our resourcing to £1.4bn over the next three years. We estimate this investment will stop £2.0bn of loss in fraud and error during this time.

Local Authority Welfare Steering Group

Ms Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the minutes of the meeting of the Universal Credit Programme Board on 22 October 2019, if she will place the (a) agendas, (b) papers and (c) minutes of the vulnerable claimants steering group in the House of Commons Library.

David Rutley: I refer the Rt Hon member to the answer I gave to Question Number 147023 on April 04 2022.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Bottles: Deposit Return Schemes

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of including glass bottles in the Deposit Return Scheme.

Jo Churchill: The Government has consulted twice on the introduction of a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and given careful consideration to the inclusion of glass bottles as part of the scheme. Feedback from stakeholders including representatives of the glass industry, raised concerns including glass in a DRS could reduce recycling, reduce the products that can be made from recycled glass and increase overall carbon emissions. A full response to the consultation will be published in due course.

Rural Areas

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Rural Proofing report 2021 will be published.

Rebecca Pow: The second report on rural proofing in England will be published in the coming weeks, setting out how Government departments are working to support levelling up in rural areas.

Dogs: Imports

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 28 March 2022 to Question 144849 on Dogs: imports, when his Department will publish its response to the consultation on proposed restrictions to the commercial and non-commercial movement of pets into Great Britain; what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a ban on the import of pregnant dogs; and if he will take steps prior to the publication of the consultation response to restrict the transport of dogs subjected to low welfare practices.

Victoria Prentis: We are analysing the responses to the consultation and will publish a summary in due course. This will allow us to fully assess the views of the public and interested groups to shape our future policy including on the import of pregnant dogs.We take the issue of low-welfare movements of dogs seriously. It is an abhorrent trade which causes suffering to animals. We operate one of the most rigorous and robust pet travel checking regimes in Europe. The Animal and Plant Health Agency already works collaboratively with Border Force and other operational partners at ports, airports and inland to safeguard the welfare of animals and seize non-compliant animals.

Dogs: Imports

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many Intra-Trade Animal Health certificates were issued for dogs entering the UK in each month of (a) 2021 and (b) 2022 to date; and from which country did those dogs originate.

Victoria Prentis: For 2021 and 2022 we no longer receive Intra-Trade Animal Health certificates after leaving the EU which is part of the EU TRACES (Trade Control and Expert System). Following departure from the EU, all imports from the EU should be notified via IPAFFS, attaching the relevant health documentation to the notification.

Dogs: Imports

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many dogs were imported through the Pet Travel Scheme in each month of (a) 2021 and (b) 2022 to date; and from which country did these dogs originate.

Victoria Prentis: The number of dogs imported through the Pet Travel Scheme in each month for 2021 to 2022 are as follows: Data for May 2022 not complete as not yet month end. 2021Number of Dogs2022Number of DogsJan6269Jan17920Feb7908Feb11992Mar10657Mar8272Apr10190Apr20373May10774  Jun14971  Jul13113  Aug21519  Sep19984  Oct17648  Nov14135  Dec15755  Total162,923Total58,557 The data regarding the Pet Travel Scheme covers pets entering Great Britain and is based on information provided by checkers employed by approved carriers of pet animals. This data can be subject to change as often throughput data from carriers can be received late. Country of origin is not recorded by the carriers so we are unable to provide this information.

Government Departments: JBS

Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the decision by Sainsbury’s and other leading supermarkets not to procure meat supplied by JBS SA or its subsidiaries due to allegations of involvement in illegal deforestation of the Amazon and allegations of modern day slavery practices, if he will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to examine Government departments' and agencies' meat supply contracts with that company.

Victoria Prentis: The public can have confidence that the food provided in the public sector meets the standards expected. The Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services set a range of mandatory and best practice standards, including requiring suppliers to meet UK production standards or equivalent. We want the public sector to lead by example, championing high production standards and sustainable produce. We will soon consult on public sector food and catering policy to ensure it reflects our high ambition for this area. The consultation will seek views on ways to promote local, sustainable, healthier food in the public sector, open public sector procurement to a wider range of businesses and increase the transparency of food supply chains. The procurement of food for the public sector remains the responsibility of lead departments for that sector. Lead departments are in regular contact with major suppliers to review their public procurement contracts and ensure they can continue to meet the food standards they are expected to uphold.

Dogs: Imports

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many dogs were imported under the Balai Directive in each month of (a) 2021 and (b) 2022 to date; and from which country did these dogs originate.

Victoria Prentis: Since we left the EU, the EU import data was collated from the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s (APHA) Post Import Management System and accounts for all Imports that have been entered using IPAFFS (Import of products, animals, food and feed system). The information that we have provided is a true reflection of the information that we have access to. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data, as we can only rely on the information that has been input into IPAFFS by traders. APHA only holds data on GB imports. From 14 April 2022 Great Britain temporarily suspended the commercial import of dogs, cats and ferrets if they originated from or have been dispatched from Belarus, Poland, Romania or Ukraine, until 9 July 2022. Please find data below.  2021 Numbers of Dogs imported under Balai DirectiveCountry of OriginJanFebMarAprilMayJuneAustria  14 4 Belgium1978885Bulgaria356511374116131Croatia 27125118207196Cyprus143485323384205415Czechia 1414191720Denmark  12 1184England16467 Estonia   165 Finland 121  France658404817111Germany 2441117Greece13312411616479Hungary35234865621582358Iceland  1   Italy4293526933Latvia 3625666145Lithuania283575623228Luxembourg  Malta 1Netherlands942563Northern Ireland 2Norway   1  Poland131318564587688566Portugal13469594378Republic of Ireland96529717560654640Romania55836094220478836963199Scotland 1Slovakia53239271722Slovenia  13 1Spain117269637702573590Sweden 52111Switzerland  121 Wales  1   UK  Isle of Man  (blank)   1  Grand Total120158327937830571256724 2021 Numbers of Dogs imported under Balai DirectiveCountry of OriginJulyAugSeptOctNovDecAustria 21 1 Belgium76532 Bulgaria96441571108666Croatia282223132254246193Cyprus297396345325165275Czechia221825222030Denmark 582104394117England2038791Estonia 11   Finland 1 111France38261612327Germany798554Greece110981241108860Hungary322223402302277296Iceland  Italy35293517368Latvia432857556927Lithuania817182775552Luxembourg 2Malta 2Netherlands43423281618Northern Ireland  Norway 1  1 Poland480486543492405333Portugal532242462825Republic of Ireland557620651557633444Romania332828713108345228252427Scotland  Slovakia232132223318Slovenia1 1   Spain729316539490539408Sweden21 3312Switzerland121   Wales  UK  Isle of Man  (blank)  Grand Total653856106548646356674816 2022 Numbers of Dogs imported under Balai Directive Country of OriginJanFebMarApril1/5/22 to 23/05/22Austria3  2 Belgium10 452Bulgaria794095115115Croatia145190358248 Cyprus33528227577231Czechia1411101816Denmark1196797 England 1273Estonia  4 7Finland111  France16181621Germany22217113Greece5448332916Hungary164253224226193Iceland Italy744323522Latvia563254418Lithuania3663523126Luxembourg  1  Malta Netherlands2417129 Northern Ireland1Norway 3 2 Poland32033933417542Portugal3036302439Republic of Ireland635670632534493Romania252923652531118118Scotland Slovakia171312179Slovenia Spain480529448415344Sweden231 1Switzerland 1 1 Wales UK  12 Isle of Man2(blank) Grand Total49834999523633041589

UK Trade with EU: Veterinary Medicine

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking towards a veterinary agreement between the UK and the EU to help reduce trade barriers on both imports and exports between the UK and the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Victoria Prentis: The Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) includes a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) chapter which allows the UK and the EU to take a risk-based approach to our respective SPS border controls and provides a basis for cooperation on avoiding unnecessary barriers to trade. We are open to discussions with the EU on additional steps to further reduce trade friction, but these cannot be on the basis of future alignment with EU rules. This would compromise UK sovereignty over our own laws. Our focus continues to be on supporting businesses adjust to the new trading arrangements. This includes:Increasing vet capacity to certify exportsMaking available millions of pounds through our Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Brexit FundRegularly engaging with industry, including through the Brexit Business Task Force, to understand any challenges they face.

Dairy Farming

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate he has made of the total number of dairy farms throughout the country.

Victoria Prentis: This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. The number of dairy farms in England in 2021 is shown below along with the number of cows in the dairy herd on these farms. The source of cattle population data is the administrative Cattle Tracing System (CTS) data. YearNumber of dairy farms(a)Number of cows in the dairy herd20216,5001,090,856 (a) Sourced from CTS. Defined as the number of holdings with more than 10 female dairy cows over two years old in the milking herd (i.e., with offspring).

Food: UK Trade with EU

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 16 May 2022 to Question 276, what specific activities have been undertaken in each category within that Answer; and if she will provide a breakdown of how the funds provided to each activity were allocated.

Victoria Prentis: The import controls introduced in January 2021 and January 2022 were vital first steps in ensuring our biosecurity, which remains our priority objective. The activities previously reported were preparatory for the introduction of further import controls. This expenditure set out below allows us to deliver those import controls that will now be introduced as part of a new target operating model to be published this autumn. Port Health Authority FundThis funding was for grants to local authorities in England, to provide the funding they require to deliver new sanitary checks on imports of animal products from territories subject to special transitional import arrangements (EEA states, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Switzerland) that were due to be introduced from July 2022. The funding covers three types of costs that will be incurred by local authorities:Salary costs of recruited staff, to enable authorities to retain them in postRecruitment and salary costs for new staff where required and agreedCertain non-staff costs relating to accommodation, equipment, and systems The PHA fund received their budgets through the section 31 grant process which is a non-ringfenced grant to local authorities. Imports policyThis covers Full Time Equivalent Defra staffing costs, which included some contractors. IPAFFSThis IT development work was conducted by a third-party supplier specialising in software development, to build a replacement Imports system to the European system (TRACES) Infrastructure £12.67 million has been spent by Defra on the Sevington BCP includes costs for Construction and Refurbishment.£15.20 million has been spent by Defra on the Dover SPS BCP, which includes costs for Construction and Refurbishment. Other Infrastructure costs that were incurred by Defra in FY 21/22 were for Consultancy and Legal Fees (£0.65m*), Fixtures, Fittings and Equipment (£0.3m*) and Defra Staff (£2.17m*) which included, specialist temporary contractor expertise to deliver this complex project.* Some rounding errors existActivityFY 21/22FY 22/23TotalDigital Delivery   IPAFFS£9.61m£0.00m£9.61mOverhead£1.16m£0.00m£1.16mImports Policy£11.17m£0.15m£11.32mPHA Fund17.56m£2.50m£20.06m £39.50m£2.65m£42.15m

Food: Supply Chains

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has plans to provide support to the food and drink supply chain in its servicing of the public sector in the context of that sector facing pressures due to rising energy, food and labour costs.

Victoria Prentis: The procurement of food for the public sector is the responsibility of lead departments for that sector (Department for Education – schools, Department of Health and Social Care – hospitals and care homes, Ministry of Justice – prisons, Ministry of Defence – armed forces). Defra is working closely with those lead departments to ensure that they are aware of any issues to the food and drink supply chain. Lead departments are in regular contact with major suppliers to review their public procurement contracts and ensure they can continue the fulfilment of their services, as stated in their contracts and including food standards they are expected to uphold. The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, as demonstrated throughout the Covid-19 response, and Cabinet Office has been running a series of workshops giving relevant businesses advise on handling inflationary pressures.

Livestock: Dogs

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of requiring dogs which have attacked livestock to be (a) destroyed and (b) trained with e-collars.

Victoria Prentis: The Government takes the issue of livestock worrying very seriously, recognising the distress this can cause farmers and animals, as well as the financial implications. New measures to crack down on livestock worrying in England and Wales are to be brought in through the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill, which was introduced in Parliament on 8 June 2021. The reforms being introduced have been designed with proportionality in mind. Destruction orders would only be made post-conviction and similar powers are already available in relation to dogs that are dangerous and not kept under proper control under existing legislation (e.g. the Dogs Act 1871). Ancillary orders can be effective tools against reoffending and incorporating these orders into the general scheme of the specific livestock worrying legislation will provide greater clarity to the general public on the potential consequences of committing the offence of livestock worrying. The Government’s proposed ban on electric shock collars will protect the welfare of dogs as hand-held remote-controlled devices can be all too easily open to abuse and can be harmful for animal welfare. Dog owners can prevent incidents of livestock worrying through keeping their dogs on a lead in the vicinity of livestock and/or undertaking appropriate training. It is important that dogs are trained to behave well, ideally from a young age, and introduced gradually and positively to different environments, people and animals. Reward-based training for dogs is widely regarded as the preferred method of training. Owners who have concerns about controlling their dog’s behaviour may take advice from their vet or a suitably qualified dog behaviourist or trainer. The Animal Behaviour and Training Council maintains national registers of appropriately qualified trainers and behaviourists. The statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs also includes guidance and reminders for owners about their responsibilities to provide for the welfare needs of their animals and to keep their dogs safe and under control, including in the vicinity of livestock. The best proven method of preventing a dog from attacking livestock is to keep the dog on a lead when exercising around other animals, as advised by farmers and other keepers of livestock. Natural England has also published a refreshed version of the Countryside Code, which makes specific reference to keeping dogs in sight and under control to make sure they stay away from livestock, wildlife, horses and other people unless invited. Moreover, the Countryside Code helpfully sets out certain legal requirements, encouraging visitors to always check local signs as there are locations where you must keep your dog on a lead around livestock for all or part of the year.

Dogs: Electronic Training Aids

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of dog ownership for the mental health of elderly and disabled people; and what estimate he has made of the number of physically impaired dog owners who use electronic training aids.

Victoria Prentis: The Government recognises the beneficial effect that pets can have on people’s emotional and mental wellbeing, including for elderly and disabled people, and appreciates that pets provided their owners with a valuable level of emotional support during the Covid-19 pandemic. We have not made a specific assessment of the potential merits of dog ownership from a mental health perspective. However, the Government remains committed to our ambitions in the NHS Long Term Plan to expand and transform mental health services in England and to invest an additional £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24. The Government has considered evidence from Defra-funded research, the results of a public consultation, and information from other relevant sources to inform its policy on the use of e-collars for the control of dogs. The proposed ban on the use of electric shock collars controlled by hand-held devices was developed after considering a broad range of factors, including the effects of such a ban. When considered alongside the academic research, the public consultation responses, and direct engagement with the sector, the Government concluded that electric shock collars controlled by hand-held devices present a risk to the welfare of dogs and cats and that their use should not be permitted. Concerns have been raised about the potential for a ban on the use of e-collars to adversely affect elderly dog owners, or dog owners with disabilities. We consider that e-collar users with protected characteristics, such as the elderly or those with physical impairments, would not be significantly affected by the impact of a ban because alternatives are available to assist in controlling their dogs. Further, we intend to allow time between the completion of the ban’s legislative process and its coming into force for owners to retrain their dogs.

Home Office

Refugees: Afghanistan

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help ensure that resettled Afghans are informed about life in the area of the UK in which they are offered accommodation.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of housing resettled Afghans in urban areas; and whether priority is given to finding accommodation in urban areas.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Homes for Ukraine Scheme

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason there is a delay between a positive decision to issue a visa under the Homes for Ukraine scheme and the provision of a Permission to Travel document.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Politics and Government: Russia

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps in response to pro-Putin campaigners within the UK.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Homes for Ukraine Scheme: Lewisham

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have arrived (a) in Lewisham East constituency and (b) within the Lewisham Council area through the Ukraine Family Scheme since that scheme began.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Refugees: Ukraine

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that Ukrainian refugees who have applied under the Ukraine Family Scheme from within the UK are not waiting significantly longer for approval than those applications made from Ukraine and the surrounding region.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the (a) administration of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme and (b) routes by which people are able to access the scheme.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Passports: Applications

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to reduce the time taken to process passport applications and passport renewal applications.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Passports: Applications

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with HM Passport Office on tackling administrative delays that are lengthening the time taken to process passport applications and passport renewal applications.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

UK Visas and Immigration: Telephone Services

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce the average waiting time on the MP UK Visas and Immigration helpline.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Homes for Ukraine Scheme

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's MP hotline and subsequent selection of option 2 relating to the Homes for Ukraine scheme, what the average call wait time was until calls are answered in the latest period for which data is available.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

British Nationality: Ilois

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason it is her policy that the new route for Chagossians to acquire British Nationality will be time-limited to five years from the commencement date of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

British Nationality: Ilois

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the new route to British Citizenship for Chagossians to those who are born outside of the British Indian Ocean Territory.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Deportation

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has a record of the number of parents separated from their children as a result of deportations by her Department.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Deportation: Appeals

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many appeals against deportation lodged in 2021 were allowed (a) on family life grounds and (b) on the basis that deportation would have an unduly harsh impact on a qualifying child.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Members: Correspondence

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the correspondence of (a) 4 March and (b) 28 April 2022 from the hon. Member for Glasgow East, reference DL8914.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the correspondence of 14 April 2022 from the hon. Member for Glasgow East, reference DL11439.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the correspondence of 21 March 2022 from the hon. Member for Glasgow East, reference DL11492.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the correspondence of (a) 20 January and (b) 14 March 2022 from the hon. Member for Glasgow East, reference DL11192.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the correspondence of (a) 20 January and (b) 14 March 2022 from the hon. Member for Glasgow East, reference DL11182.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the correspondence of (a) 3 February and (b) 14 March 2022 from the hon. Member for Glasgow East, reference DL11279.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the correspondence of 25 February 2022 from the hon. Member for Glasgow East, reference DL11307.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the correspondence of 22 March 2022 from the hon. Member for Glasgow East, reference DL11315.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the correspondence of 5 April 2022 from the hon. Member for Glasgow East, reference DL11555.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the correspondence of (a) 9 March, (b) 7 April and (c) 5 May 2022 from the hon. Member for Glasgow East, reference DL11374.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the correspondence of (a) 10 February, (b) 10 March, (c) 7 April and (d) 23 May 2022 from the hon. Member for Glasgow East, reference DL10893.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the correspondence of (a) 28 March and (b) 3 May 2022 from the hon. Member for Glasgow East, reference DL11486.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the correspondence of (a) 21 March and (b) 3 May 2022 from the hon. Member for Glasgow East, reference DL11009.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the correspondence of (a) 11 April and (b) 9 May 2022 from the hon. Member for Glasgow East, reference DL11141.

Kevin Foster: I apologise for the delay. UK Visas and Immigration, MP Account Management team responded as detailed below:PQ 8114 – MPAM reference: MPAM/0257227/22 – The Home Office responded on 25 May 2022.PQ 8117 – MPAM reference: MPAM/0286571/22 – The Home Office responded on 25 May 2022.PQ 8119 – MPAM reference: MPAM/0261710/22 – The Home Office responded on 25 May 2022.PQ 8120 – MPAM reference: MPAM/0261732/22 – The Home Office responded on 25 May 2022.PQ 8121 – MPAM reference: MPAM/0261690/22 – The Home Office responded on 25 May 2022.PQ 8124 – MPAM reference: MPAM/0253927/22 – The Home Office responded on 25 May 2022.PQ 8125 – MPAM reference: MPAM/0266624/22 – The Home Office responded on 25 May 2022.PQ 8126 – MPAM reference: MPAM/0277018/22 – The Home Office responded on 25 May 2022.PQ 8127 – MPAM reference: MPAM/0260043/22 – The Home Office responded on 25 May 2022.PQ 8128 – MPAM reference: MPAM/0316608/22 – The Home Office responded on 25 May 2022.PQ 8129 – MPAM reference: MPAM/0270390/22 – The Home Office responded on 25 May 2022.PQ 8130 – MPAM reference: MPAM/0266259/22 – The Home Office responded on 25 May 2022.PQ 8131 – MPAM reference: MPAM/0281824/22 – The Home Office responded on 25 May 2022.Enquiries are still outstanding on the following case:PQ 8118 – MPAM reference: MPAM/0271929/22 – The Home Office will respond shortly.

Visas: Ukraine

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether Ukrainian nationals who enter Northern Ireland without a visa having lawfully entered the Republic of Ireland fall within the scope of third country inadmissibility principles, under paragraphs 345A-D of the Immigration Rules.

Kevin Foster: There are a range of safe and legal routes to the UK and unlimited numbers are being offered safety after fleeing the war in Ukraine through our family and Homes for Ukraine schemes.

Asylum: RAF Linton-on-Ouse

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to include an immigration detention centre at the Linton-on-Ouse asylum accommodation site.

Kevin Foster: The immigration removal estate is kept under ongoing review to ensure the Home Office has sufficient capacity, in the right places and it provides value for money.

Asylum: Undocumented Migrants

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of failed asylum seekers who have no right to remain in the UK.

Kevin Foster: Information regarding the number of failed asylum seekers still living in the UK can be found on tables ASY03 and RCM02 of the most recently published immigration and protection transparency data:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-and-protection-data-q4-2021

Hostage Taking: Victim Support Schemes

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what procedures her Department has in place for victims of hostage-taking; and whether she plans to develop safeguarding guidance for public authorities and staff.

Damian Hinds: The Home Office takes the risk of hostage taking very rather seriously.Depending on the circumstances, our operational partners have the capability and would respond to the immediate crises. We then have clear policies to support victims of crime and vulnerable people, depending on specific needs.In response to any terrorist attack, the Victims of Terrorism Unit (VTU) co-ordinates effective and comprehensive support to victims of terrorism. The VTU define a victim of terrorism as anyone who feels impacted, either physically or mentally, by a terrorist attack, including bereaved family and friends, witnesses and first responders.Victims of Terrorism are provided with practical and emotional support from specialist service providers, enabling them to cope with the immediate impact of a terrorist attack and to recover from the longer-term consequences.The VTU has developed a Local Authority (LA) Toolkit, to help LAs to support victims of terrorism. In the aftermath of an attack, the VTU will work with the area affected to ensure that victims receive the support they need.

HM Passport Office: Standards

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the current delays within HM Passport Office.

Kevin Foster: Ahead of unrestricted international travel returning, HM Passport Office prepared extensively to serve an unprecedented number of customers, with 9.5 million British passport applications forecasted throughout 2022.These preparations, which include the recruitment of 650 additional staff since April 2021 and with plans in place to recruit a further 550 by this summer, have ensured passport applications can be processed in higher numbers than ever before. This was demonstrated in March and April 2022 when HM Passport Office achieved a record monthly high by completing the processing of nearly two million applications.Ministers continue to meet regularly with officials to monitor performance, and to explore further options that will help to ensur people receive their passports in good time.

Passports: Applications

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps her Department is taking to ensure that passport applications are processed accurately and without delay.

Kevin Foster: Ahead of unrestricted international travel returning, HM Passport Office prepared extensively to serve an unprecedented number of customers, with 9.5 million British passport applications forecasted throughout 2022.These preparations, which include the recruitment of 650 additional staff since April 2021 and with plans in place to recruit a further 550 by this summer, have ensured passport applications can be processed in higher numbers than ever before. This was demonstrated in March and April 2022 when HM Passport Office achieved a record monthly high by completing the processing of nearly two million applications.Ministers continue to meet regularly with officials to monitor performance, and to explore further options that will help to ensure people receive their passports in good time.

Passports: Applications

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time taken by her Department to process a passport application is; and what steps her Department is taking to reduce that time.

Kevin Foster: Ahead of unrestricted international travel returning, Her Majesty’s Passport Office prepared extensively to serve an unprecedented number of customers, with 9.5 million British passport applications forecasted throughout 2022.These preparations, which include the recruitment of 650 additional staff since April 2021 and with plans in place to recruit a further 550 by this summer, have ensured passport applications can be processed in higher numbers than ever before. This was demonstrated in March and April 2022 when HM Passport Office achieved record outputs by completing the processing of two million applications Since April 2021, HM Passport Office has been advising people to allow up to 10 weeks when applying for their passport from the UK. There are currently no plans to change this published timeframe until the expected demand for passports returns closer to normal levels.

Visas: Graduates

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of enabling graduates from high-ranking UK universities to apply for the High Potential Individual visa.

Kevin Foster: The High Potential Individual route is a highly selective route. It is designed to attract individuals who are at an early stage of their career who have demonstrated their potential through academic achievement at a limited number of universities outside of the UK. Graduates of all UK universities are already able to remain and work in the UK for the same period through the Graduate route.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Regional Planning and Development: Ipswich

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of identifying Ipswich as a priority levelling up area.

Neil O'Brien: The Government recognises that towns such as Ipswich are crucial to the success of the levelling up agenda. That is why we are investing £25 million in Ipswich though the Towns Fund programme, which will support eleven vital projects across the town.   This funding, coupled with £1,381,860 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), will make a tangible difference to the lives of people living in Ipswich, helping the town to reach its full potential and unlock local opportunities for all.

Regional Planning and Development: Housing

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he will take to ensure that housing development potential is taken into account when allocating levelling up funding.

Neil O'Brien: The Government is committed to making our housing market work and levelling up our communities by making sure opportunity is spread more widely across the country. This is why the creation of new residential units, or the improvement of existing ones, will continue to be a potential output in round two of the Levelling Up Fund. This builds on the success of other funding programmes, such as the Towns Fund, where investment is also leading towards increased housing and better infrastructure.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much funding his Department awarded to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council as part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Neil O'Brien: In England, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) will be delivered over the strategic geographies of Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Greater London Authority, and district councils and unitary authorities elsewhere.The West Midlands Combined Authority is the lead authority for the strategic geography covering the Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council and will be responsible for delivering UKSPF. Its UKSPF allocation amounts to £105 million over the three years (including the Multiply programme).The allocations for the Fund have been published on GOV.UK and include how allocations for strategic geographies have been reached.While the lead authority will have overall responsibility for the Fund, individual local authorities may take responsibility for a particular UKSPF intervention or policy, where this reflects the right approach to local needs.

Cabinet Office

Fuels: Excise Duties

Carla Lockhart: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, the total sum accrued by the Exchequer in fuel duty in each of the last 4 years.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the hon. Member’s Parliamentary Question of 24 May is attached. UKSA response (pdf, 110.0KB)

Treasury

Coronavirus: Government Assistance

Jim Shannon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to address (a) individuals and (b) organisations that made fraudulent claims for covid-19 assistance programmes.

John Glen: The government has always been clear that any a) individual and b) organisation who knowingly defrauds the covid – 19 schemes are at risk of prosecution and/or enforcement action. Government departments together with those who implement the schemes are working with enforcement bodies to investigate the cases. As part of the 2022 Spring Statement, the Chancellor announced an additional £48.8m of funding over 3 years to support the creation of a new Public Sector Fraud Authority and enhance counter fraud work.

Child Benefit

Chris Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of calculating child benefit on household rather than individual income.

Lucy Frazer: Child Benefit remains a universal benefit. The High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) is a tax charge which applies to anyone with an income of over £50,000 who gets Child Benefit, or whose partner gets it. HICBC is calculated on an individual rather than a household basis, in line with other income tax policy. Basing HICBC on household incomes would mean finding out the incomes of everyone in each of the 7.7 million households currently registered for Child Benefit. This would effectively introduce a new means test, which would be costly to administer and create burdens on the majority of families who receive Child Benefit. The Government decided that charging HICBC to those on higher incomes ensures that everyone makes a fair contribution, while those with the lowest incomes continue to be supported.

Ukraine: Debts

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions officials in their Department have had with (a) the International Monetary Fund and (b) G7 member countries on the effect of the upcoming debt repayments due from Ukraine on that country’s ability to mitigate the humanitarian impact of Russian aggression.

John Glen: The UK continues to work with its international partners, including with its G7 partners and International Financial Institutions such as the IMF, to progress current and future support to Ukraine. The Government of Ukraine has been clear that it wishes to remain current on its debt service repayments to all its creditors and has not requested a debt deferral or restructuring from its creditors. The UK’s combined package to Ukraine in response to the crisis totals over $3 billion. This comprises of around $500 million in economic and humanitarian support for Ukraine, making the UK a leading bilateral humanitarian donor; almost $1 billion in guarantees on World Bank lending to Ukraine; $50 million in potential guarantees on lending to Ukraine by the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development; and over $1.5 billion in military aid. We continue to discuss Ukraine’s economic support needs directly with Ukraine’s Ministry of Finance.

Tax Allowances: Health Professions

Stephen Farry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of inflation on the (a) tapered annual allowance for medical pensions and (b) incentives for medical professionals to work additional hours.

John Glen: The Government is committed to ensuring that hard-working NHS staff do not find themselves reducing their work commitments due to the interaction between their pay, their pension, and the relevant tax regime. The NHS pension scheme protects pensions in payment by increasing them by CPI and revalues accrued CARE benefits by CPI+1.5% each year. In April 2020, the Government raised the thresholds above which the tapered annual allowance applies by £90,000. As a result, no one with a net income before tax below £200,000 is now affected by the tapered annual allowance. In addition, the annual allowance only begins to taper down for individuals who also have total income (including pension accrual) above £240,000. It was estimated at Budget 2020 that these changes have taken up to 96% of GPs and up to 98% of NHS consultants outside the scope of the tapered annual allowance. These changes allow pension savers to build significant retirement savings tax free, while also ensuring that the highest earning pension savers do not receive a disproportionate benefit from pension tax relief.

Bank Services

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 24 May 2022 to Question 4565, on Bank Services, which banks are participants in the Current Account Switch Guarantee; and which challenger banks are excluded.

John Glen: Over 40 UK current account providers are signed-up to the Current Account Switch Service, which covers 99% of the market. The list of participants is set out in full on the Service’s website. The Switch Guarantee is provided by all the Service’s participants. In Q1 2022, 99.8% of switches were completed in the seven working day timescale. Any organisation which meets the eligibility criteria can join the service.

Currencies

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a comparative assessment of the potential (a) merits and (b) disadvantages to the economy of (i) central bank digital currencies and (ii) stablecoins.

John Glen: The UK is actively exploring the potential role of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) to understand the wide-ranging opportunities and challenges they could bring. On 9 November 2021, the government set out its future timelines for this work, including a joint consultation from HM Treasury and the Bank of England in 2022, setting out an assessment of the case for a UK CBDC. On April 4 the government published its response to its consultation on the UK’s regulatory approach to stablecoins. It also included a call for evidence on the use of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) in financial markets. The response set out the government’s position that certain stablecoins have the capacity to potentially become a widespread meansof payment including by retail customers, driving consumer choice and efficiencies. By regulating stablecoins appropriately the government will create the conditions for stablecoin issuers and service providers to operate and grow in the UK. For consumers, bringing stablecoins into the regulatory framework means they will be able to use stablecoin services with confidence. The legislation to bring stablecoins, where used as a means of payment, within the regulatory perimeter is expected to be part of the forthcoming Financial Services and Markets Bill announced in the Queen’s Speech on 10 May. The Bill will be introduced later in the session when parliamentary time allows.

Currencies

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect on monetary sovereignty of the widespread use of (a) privately-issued and (b) foreign state-issued stablecoins.

John Glen: Certain privately-issued stablecoins could be used as widespread means of payment, including by retail customers, driving consumer choice and efficiencies. At the same time, as noted by the G7 Working Group on Stablecoins in 2019, without appropriate safeguards, stablecoins could also have implications for the international monetary system, including currency substitution, and could therefore pose challenges to monetary sovereignty. The government is committed to continued international coordination and cooperation to ensure that innovation in private digital money and payments is responsible, safe and consistent with G7 shared policy objectives. In the UK, legislation to bring stablecoins, where used as a means of payment, within the regulatory perimeter is expected to be part of the forthcoming Financial Services and Markets Bill announced in the Queen’s Speech on 10 May. The Bill will be introduced later in the session when parliamentary time allows. On 14 October 2021, the G7 under the UK Presidency published a set of Public Policy Principles for retail central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), covering factors such as financial stability, privacy, and inclusion. Principle 7 sets out that CBDCs should be designed to avoid risks of harm to the international monetary and financial system, including the monetary sovereignty and financial stability of other countries. These factors should all be considered by countries when designing and potentially delivering a CBDC. The government is confident in its continued ability to maintain the stability and the integrity of the UK’s monetary system.

Central Bank Digital Currencies

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential economic merits of a UK central bank digital currency.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has taken recent steps to implement a UK central bank digital currency.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his Department's policies of international work to create central bank digital currencies.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of creating a UK central bank digital currency.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his timescale is for launching the consultation on a UK central bank digital currency.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of a central bank digital currency for British (a) investors, (b) companies and (c) individuals.

John Glen: The government and the Bank of England have not yet made a decision on the issuance of a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) in the UK. The government is progressing work to explore a UK CBDC with pace and purpose through the HM Treasury and Bank of England CBDC Taskforce. As part of the process of research and exploration, HM Treasury and the Bank of England will publish a consultation in 2022 setting out their assessment of the case for a UK CBDC, including the merits of further work to develop an operational and technology model for a UK CBDC. We are actively engaging on CBDC internationally including through the G7 Digital Payments Experts Group (DPEG) and under the UK’s Presidency of the G7, the UK and G7 members agreed to a set of Public Policy Principles that finance ministries and central banks will have to consider prior to the issuance of any CBDC.

Central Bank Digital Currencies

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of whether (a) regulations and (b) primary legislation would be required to create a UK central bank digital currency.

John Glen: The UK is actively exploring the potential role of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) to understand the wide-ranging opportunities and challenges they could bring. On 9 November 2021, the government set out its future timelines for this work, including a joint consultation from HM Treasury and the Bank of England in 2022 setting out their assessment of the case for a UK CBDC. The government and the Bank of England have not yet made a decision on whether to introduce a CBDC in the UK. Primary legislation may be needed to issue a CBDC in the UK. The nature of any legislative changes will depend on the design of any CBDC.

Inflation

Beth Winter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish any statistical data his Department holds on the effective rate of inflation for households for different household make-ups, including those with multiple children.

John Glen: The independent Office for National Statistics (ONS) is responsible for the calculation and publication of inflation statistics. In January 2022, the ONS resumed its publishing of CPI-consistent inflation estimates for UK by household groups, including by income decile and by retired and non-retired household. The ONS does not produce inflation statistics for households by number of children.[1] The Government understands that millions of households across the UK are struggling to make their incomes stretch to cover the rising cost of living. The government is providing over £15bn of additional support in the May Cost of Living Support, targeted particularly on those with the greatest need. This support package builds on the over £22bn announced previously, with government support for the cost of living now totaling over £37bn this year. [1] https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/bulletins/cpiconsistentinflationrateestimatesforukhouseholdgroups/2005to2021

Credit: Interest Rates

Jim Shannon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of people who are in debt as a result of pay day loan schemes.

John Glen: The Government strongly believes that consumers should be protected from unfair costs in the payday lending market to avoid them falling into problem debt. The Government therefore legislated to require the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to introduce a cap on the cost of payday loans, which came into force in 2015. In July 2017, the FCA released a Feedback Statement as part of its review of the high-cost credit market. This showed that the payday cap has been effective, leading to total savings of approximately £150 million for the 760,000 individuals using payday loans each year. Customers pay less, repay on time more often, and are less likely to need help from debt advice charities. However, the Government recognises that some people will be struggling with their personal finances during these challenging times and may find themselves in problem debt. That is why the Government is maintaining record levels of free-to-client debt advice funding for the Money and Pensions Service in 2022/23. In addition to this, the Government launched the Breathing Space scheme in England and Wales last year. The scheme gives eligible people in problem debt who receive professional debt advice access to a 60-day period in which enforcement action is paused and most fees, charges and interest are frozen. The Government also continues to develop the Statutory Debt Repayment Plan (SDRP), a statutory agreement that will enable a person in problem debt to combine their debts into a single repayment plan, with payments made over a manageable time period, while receiving legal protections from creditor action for the duration of their plan.

Blackmore Bond: Insolvency

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to commission an independent inquiry into the regulators' handling of the collapse Blackmore Bond plc.

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to provide compensation to victims of the collapse of Blackmore Bond plc.

John Glen: The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is responsible for ensuring consumer protection for a broad range of financial services products. However, it does not regulate all financial services firms and products. Blackmore Bond Plc was not authorised by the FCA and the sale of the ‘mini-bond’ product it offered was not an activity regulated by the FCA. The FCA does not have power to investigate a firm that is unauthorised and not carrying out any regulated activities. The Government therefore has no plans to commission an independent inquiry into the FCA’s handling of the collapse of Blackmore Bond plc. The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) is the compensation scheme of last resort for financial services. The FSCS is an independent non-governmental body that carries out its compensation function within rules set by the FCA and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), who are also independent of Government. The FSCS can only pay compensation in respect of certain regulated activities and the Government is unable to intervene or comment on specific cases and decisions taken by the FSCS. It is an important point of principle that the Government does not step in to pay compensation in respect of failed financial services firms that fall outside of the FSCS. Doing so would create the wrong set of incentives for individuals and an unnecessary burden on the taxpayer. In April 2021, the Treasury launched a consultation on proposals for bringing mini-bonds (also known as Non-Transferable Debt Securities) within the scope of regulation. On 1 March 2022 the Treasury published a response setting out its preferred approach and intentions for taking this proposal forward.